Boys named 'cutest couple' at New York high school

CARMEL, N.Y. -- The duo voted "cutest couple" in the senior class at a suburban New York high school say they're getting teased about it - but not because they're both boys.

"Yeah, our friends are giving it to us about being Internet famous," said 18-year-old Dylan Meehan, a senior at Carmel High School.

"We've never had any problems at all," added 17-year-old senior Brad Taylor. "As a matter of fact, before the results, people were telling us ahead of time, 'You guys are going to win hands down.'"

The gay couple's selection - a first at Carmel High - has become an online sensation, driven by a yearbook photo of the smiling boys in a close embrace. A friend's blog with the photo had more than 110,000 hits Monday, and it was cited in stories on several major news sites.

They received so much attention that they released a statement saying "the whole thing has been a bit surreal."

They said that when they first started dating a year ago, "the thought of a photo of us traveling throughout the world would be a bit frightening, but now we are proud to be part of the LGBT community."

Other students said the boys are well-liked and always willing to help younger students as part of the school's mentoring program.